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A film score is original music composed for a specific film. A soundtrack is a collection of pre-existing tracks licensed for the film. The distinctio…

Aspect ratio is a narrative tool, not just a technical parameter. The Academy ratio (1.37:1) is nearly square — intimate, suited to close-ups and inte…

Literary unreliable narrators are flagged by inconsistencies in the told story. Film has a different problem: the camera appears to show us reality di…

A long take — an extended shot without cuts — does something editing cannot: it establishes real time passing. The audience cannot be tricked by editi…

Color grading as a distinct craft emerged from photochemical timing (adjusting the printer lights during film printing) and became a software practice…

Sound in film is classified as diegetic (existing in the world of the story) or non-diegetic (existing only for the audience). A character listening…

Genre is a contract between film and audience. The slasher film, the romantic comedy, the western — each makes implicit promises about what will happe…

Deep focus photography (Citizen Kane, Gregg Toland) keeps foreground and background in sharp focus simultaneously, allowing complex staging in a singl…

The Kuleshov effect (1920s): audiences read meaning into the juxtaposition of images that isn't present in either image alone. Kuleshov showed audien…